A Bit of Sunshine   By: Unknown

A BIT OF SUNSHINE.

ILLUSTRATED.

NEW YORK: DODD, MEAD & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS.

COPYRIGHT, 1879, BY DODD, MEAD & CO.

A BIT OF SUNSHINE.

"Mam ma," said Kate, as she stood at the door, which she had o pened to let puss in, "may I not go out and play? the clouds are all gone and the sun shines bright and warm."

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"But the grass must be quite soaked af ter all the rain," said mam ma. "I will tell you what to do; run to pa pa, and ask him if he will not take us to drive."

Pa pa was just go ing out, and had his hat in his hand, but he sat down at once to hear what Kate had to say, and prom ised that he would take them in half an hour, and so Kate ran up stairs to ask nurse to put her wraps on. By the time the hors es were at the door she was all read y, and took her place with great glee.

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What a bright af ter noon it was; the long rain had made all the grass and leaves look bright and green, and they were rust ling in the fresh breeze. A way out at sea the ships were fly ing be fore the wind, look ing like great white birds. Kate's home was at the sea side, and their drive this af ter noon would take them for a time on the beach.

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The waves, pa pa said, would be ve ry wild, for the wind was just right to make a heav y surf. Soon they be gan to come to the fish ing vil lage. The hous es were small, and on the beach close to each was drawn up a fish ing boat. On one of these a man was hard at work. He was down on his knees in his shirt sleeves, with some sort of a tool in his hands, and was so in tent on what he was do ing that he did not raise his head as they passed.

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In the boat it self was a boy. He was lean ing o ver the side and look ing down at his fa ther. His hat had blown off, and he looked like such a nice boy that Kate smiled at him as they went by. He laughed back and made her a lit tle bow, but the hors es went by so fast that she saw him for a min ute on ly.

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"What was the name of that boat, pa pa?" she asked.

"Phil lis," said pa pa.

"Why, that's a girl's name," said Kate.

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Just at that mo ment they passed by a small house. The door stood wide o pen, and in it sat a young girl. She had a pil low in her lap and was work ing o ver it, Kate thought, with a nee dle. "She is mak ing lace," said mam ma. "It is hard work, be cause one has to sit still bent o ver. I sup pose she is glad to have the bright sun shine to sit in, for no doubt she has been kept in the house by the rain. I won der if that is her lit tle broth er who is lean ing a gainst the side of the house whit tling."

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Kate stretched her head out to look, and cried, "Why, he is mak ing a boat; what a clev er boy! See, the hull is done, and two masts are in place. What fun it would be to have a boat to sail on our lit tle pond."

"Our pond is too deep for it to be safe for you to play a bout it," said pa pa; "but when you are old er you shall have a boat with out fail."

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The road now left the vil lage be hind and ran a long the top of some high cliffs. At their feet the sea came in in great waves that were topped with foam, and that broke in a mass of spray. There were two or three per sons on the beach, and they were walk ing a bout and hold ing up their skirts to keep them from get ting wet. It looked like such fun that mam ma asked pa pa if he would not stop and let her and Kate have a short run on the sands.

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